


Dude, Kittens?

by defeatedbyabridge



Category: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-04
Updated: 2014-06-04
Packaged: 2018-02-03 09:31:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1739756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defeatedbyabridge/pseuds/defeatedbyabridge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dustin may not be the world's MOST responsible person, but when he has a bunch of kittens to look after, he knows exactly where to bring them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dude, Kittens?

"Cam?" Shane said tentatively at the base of the stairs. "Do you know you've-"

"Yes, I know," Cam snapped, without turning from his computer. "It was the only way to shut it up so I could keep working." He kept typing. Shane was impressed at Cam's ability to concentrate given that he could type while talking, and with a soft little black kitten on his head, but then he realised that for all he knew, Cam was typing 'WHY DON'T YOU ALL SHUT UP' over and over and over. It wouldn't be much of a surprise given how cranky Cam'd been lately. He'd been even more cranky than usual, and his usual levels of crankiness were about 'I've had a jalapeno enema' on normal people. 

None the wiser, Shane turned to Tori. "Don't look at me," she said, raising her hands. "I came in with you." 

Dustin beamed at them from the edge of the bed near the doorway into the rest of Ninja Ops. "Hey, dudes! Just in time. Have a kitten." He had a basket at his feet which was making tiny mewing sounds. "I'm babysitting them for a friend while their mom goes into kitty hospital. Renee wanted a responsible adult to take 'em, but I said I'd do it instead." 

Shane blinked. He was never quite sure if Dustin was kidding around with comments like that, or if he was totally serious. But hey, who cared. Kittens! He could hear Tori making some kind of ultrasonic squealing noises next to him as he headed over to the basket, up in some girly register that only dogs and girls faced with something CUTE could hear. They knelt next to the basket. There were another six or seven kittens there. Shane zeroed in on the dark ginger with the big eyes immediately because it was crying the loudest, and Tori picked up a delicate little kitten with fur so white it was almost blue. 

"How long do you have them for?" Shane asked, cradling the ginger to his chest. He began stroking it automatically, and the kitten quieted against him, then it began to purr. In spite of himself Shane felt his cheeks stretch in a grin. Dammit, these were kittens! Not something manly! ...but the one he was holding was kneading his arm with its tiny little claws, and oh, jeez.

"Just for the afternoon," Dustin said casually. "Thanks, dude and dudette, you're really helping me out here. They're all small still and I couldn't keep them happy by myself. The one on Cam's head wouldn't put up with anyone but him, and she wouldn't stay on his lap or anything." 

"I had to put it up there to keep it quiet," Cam said sourly. He entered one last sequence into the system then hit the execute button. He stood and stretched carefully with his hands at the small of his back. Shane was amused to note how he kept his head as still as possible. 

"You're doing a fine job, Cameron," Sensei said from the corner. "Time for a break. Perhaps you could sit on your bed with the others." 

"Why exactly is the bed here, Cam?" Tori asked at last, as Hunter and Blake came through the door with cans of tuna, and bowls. Shane was relieved that someone else had asked. It meant he wasn't an idiot and it wasn't something everyone was meant to know already.

Cam gave his father an odd look, but dutifully sat down next to Dustin. "I have to fumigate my room. I have ants. It's difficult getting Buzzkill Exterminators up through the holographic entrance, so I have to do it all myself." 

"Plus with your bed out here you can go straight from work to sleep?" Hunter said with a straight face. 

Cam scowled at him. "Ha ha. I haven't exactly seen you take a lot of time for relaxing lately either."

Hunter ignored him cheerfully, and emptied tuna into the bowls Blake set down on the floor. Hunter picked up the remaining kittens from the basket and plunked them down one by one in front of the tuna, then he sat down on Cam's other side. "I haven't been as in need of relaxing time as some people," he said, leaning down and picking up a wandering kitten from the floor. 

Cam's kitten sat up, wiggled her little butt, then leapt down into his arms. Cam lurched back but caught her deftly enough, then began to scritch behind her ears. "This is oddly soothing," he admitted grumpily. 

Hunter grinned. 

"Kittens, dude," Dustin said happily. "The solution to all life's ills." 

* * *

Dustin finished setting up the childproof gate across the bottom of the stairs, then he turned and grinned at Sensei. 

Everyone else was fast asleep on the bed. Hunter's head was on Cam's shoulder, with Blake on his other side. Shane had Tori's head on his thigh. There were kittens purring on top of every one of them. 

"You were indeed correct, Dustin," Sensei said. "A concept most ingenious in its simplicity, and it worked." 

"Thanks, Sensei," Dustin beamed. "Kittens are kinda hypnotic, y'know? Like tribbles. And you, YOU were great, you didn't freak out or anything! Even when the black one nearly peed on you!" 

Sensei blinked at him. Dustin got the feeling he wanted to say something else, but he let it go. Dustin got that feeling from people a lot. "You don't need to rest as well?"

"Hey, I rest when I can, y'know? But yeah, now might be good. Why not?" Dustin grinned again at Sensei, then bounced over to the bed and snuggled in carefully with his head on Tori's shoulder. He grabbed Shane's closest hand and squeezed.

There were various aggrieved mumblings as everyone shifted a little to accommodate him, but then everyone settled down again. Until Dustin piped up, "Uh, who's got their hand on my butt?" 

No one responded, and it didn't matter that much. Dustin gave up. "...never mind." 

He drifted off to sleep surrounded by his friends, with a smile on his face.


End file.
